10 Effective Ways to Engage Remote Employees: The Budgetly Approach

In today's work world, keeping remote employees involved isn't just a hurdle—it’s a must. With more and more work going remote, companies all over are trying out new ways to keep their remote teams plugged in, engaged, and getting stuff done.

Take Budgetly as an example. We’re a tech company that's fully remote — how do we keep our employees tuned in and happy with their jobs, leading to higher staff retention and more work getting done?

Here's what works for us:

1. Give employees a monthly wellness budget

At Budgetly, we provide a wellness budget for each employee, renewed every month. It allows them to use these funds for their physical and mental health.

Whether it's for a massage, a yoga class , a meditation app, or a super comfy desk chair, it shows that we care about their wellbeing. And guess what? It can actually make people happier and more productive at work.

2. Think asynchronously

Being remote means that some team members are on different timezones or can’t make meetings. You need to make sure they can still get all the same information as the rest of the team.

We do this by always having a record of important meetings like Town Halls and making them easily accessible.

Also, having detailed internal resources goes a long way. We constantly update documentation and resources for team members to have access to the information they need to do their job well.  

3. Remind everyone to take breaks

Encourage a good work-life balance by reminding your team to take short breaks for a bit of R&R or a quick workout. It can help keep productivity high and stress low.

Budgetly staff are encouraged to step away from the computer at lunch time and be completely offline. Work-life balance is important - family always comes first!

4. Let them choose their work hours

Try to accommodate different lifestyles and time zones by letting your team choose their work hours. It can make people feel less stressed and more satisfied with their jobs.

At Budgetly, we’re all about accommodating your lifestyle - our staff don’t need to stress about joining calls during school pick up and drop off times.

5. Offer chances to learn and grow

Give your team access to courses, training, or workshops that can help them get better at what they do.

It shows you value their progression and can lead to them doing even better work. Group training every day as a team at the end of the day.

6. Regular check-ins

Keep the communication flowing. Regular one-on-one meetings, surveys, or feedback sessions where your team can share their thoughts and worries.

Once every 6 months, you can hold feedback sessions. Ensure it’s a forum of both positive and constructive feedback to identify areas of improvement.

7. Celebrate your team's successes

Regular shout-outs for your team's hard work can keep them motivated. Whether it's a pat on the back in a team meeting, an award, or some bonus structure, it can work wonders.

At Budgetly, we have a "Sales team wins" channel. Every week, we ensure there are shout-outs for 3 to 4 team members in our internal video update — that’s another hot tip: videos are much more engaging than just posting to the channel!

8. Make sure they have the right tools

Make sure your team has what they need to do their job well. This could be anything from laptops, software subscriptions, or a budget for setting up a home office.

We use our Budgetly cards to order all the equipment a new starter needs when they begin.

9. Set up virtual hangouts

Create spaces online where your team can chat and socialise. It can help make everyone feel part of the community.

At Budgetly, we plan a monthly team lunch, paid for by the business.

We also have a team meeting every morning and afternoon to catch up on tasks but it is more of a social thing as well.

Plus, we have several chatrooms; some of them are work-related, and others are purely social, like our ‘View From My Laptop’ channel (which is basically a pets channel!).

We also make sure we set up a weekly call on a Friday afternoon so everyone can share how their week has gone.

For you, this could be anything from online games, shared meals, or teamwork tasks that help everyone feel part of the team.

10. Encourage everyone to speak their mind

Create a culture where everyone can share their ideas and concerns. It can help solve problems, spark new ideas, and build trust.

At Budgetly, it’s easy for people to feel heard and their feedback can be put into action easily. Management can hear everyone’s voice and act on it fast, as opposed to being in a larger company where it may not reach senior management.

Here, even the most junior people in the team get face time with leadership. It makes everyone feel included and heard, knowing that their voice counts. 

By making employee wellness a priority, companies can create a positive atmosphere, even when everyone's working remotely.

Interested to see how Budgetly works? Watch a 10-minute demo here.